What specific factors go into deciding whether your life story should be a memoi

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   Billie Kelpinposted 11 years ago

   What specific factors go into deciding whether your life story should be a memoir or novel?
   
   I'm wrestling with trying to decide on a memoir or novel regarding a life story. I've just read "Second Son" by D.W. Linden and I like that narrative approach to that historical fiction.  If you've struggled (or are struggling) with the same question and have decided on which approach to take, I'd love to hear your decision making process.  I'm not a very imaginative person, prefer the personal essay, and I seem not be able to veer away from the actual experiences. I don't use a lot of figures of speech and metaphors, so does all that lean away from the novel format?
   
   

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2. 60

   Ruby H Roseposted 11 years ago

   Pretty much, to put it in a nutshell to your final question.  I am finding a funny way to get some other subject matter going, talking into my phone, instead of using my fingers.  Some ridiculous concepts are coming up, giving me names and everything, when I am just trying to describe a situation. 
   
   What do I know about novels and memoirs?  Not much, still trying to figure it out myself, since I too tend to tell it like it is rather than weave it into a story.  Yet I truly love to read great writers who can. 
   
   And like any other loyal hubber around here, I would just say, keep on writing it down, putting it out there some place, and asking great questions like this, cause yeah, now I am gonna go check out your page!

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      Billie Kelpinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      very cute!  talking into the phone - So when you hear yourself talking, the names of characters come  to u - I'm thinking you're very auditory like me.  Thank you for the lovely fan mail Ruby H. Rose. I love the "h" included. Saying it outloud is fun

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   valeriebelewposted 11 years ago

   I wrote and published a novel that included some truth of my actual life experiences, and some fiction.  I did not want to be confined to only things that actually happened, and I also preferred not to share the truth of what actually did.  Writing a novel gives you the freedom to create fictional characters, and to change actual people into characters they would not recognize. Since few people are ever comfortable with another person's description of them, this is an important advantage.

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   1. 91

      Billie Kelpinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      a few people in my life certainly would not like to be identified as such, I'm sure so I'd have to create whole new "thems"  Thanks Valerie.  Can we buy your novel somewhere.  Email me if you think hubpages would think that's "overly-promotional"

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